Our people

Marc trained as a chemical engineer at the University of Waterloo where he received his B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. He went on to work as a Technical Officer at the Biotechnology Research Institute of the National Research Council of Canada before doing his Ph.D. at l'Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal (Universite de Montreal). Right after finishing his PhD he joined the University of Waterloo as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He rose through the ranks of academia and is now a full Professor. He has served as the Academic Director of WatPD, Engineering; Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies (Chemical Engineering); Interim Chair (Chemical Engineering); and Associate Chair, Operations (Chemical Engineering). He has held an adjunct appointment at the University of Guelph in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. He currently holds cross-appointments in the Departments of Biology and Chemistry as well as in the Schools of Pharmacy and Optometry.

MASc thesis: Towards a Chemically Defined Medium for Sf-9 Cell Culture: Micronutrients Reduce Dependence on Yeast Extract 

MASc thesis: An In-Depth Look at Repeated Propagation of Multiple Viruses Simultaneously in Insect Cell Culture

Co-supervised by Brian Ingalls, Department of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics

Co-supervised by Brian Ingalls, Department of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics

Recipient of an NSERC CGS-D scholarship as well as a Ken O’Driscoll Graduate Scholarship in Polymer Engineering/Science for his work on plastic biodegradation.

Co-supervised by Brian Ingalls, Department of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics

Co-supervised by Roderick Slavcev, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and supported in part by the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) CREATE grant PrEEmium

Co-supervised by Roderick Slavcev, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and supported in part by the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) CREATE grant PrEEmium

Co-supervised by Roderick Slavcev, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and supported in part by the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) CREATE grant PrEEmium.

Nicholas is also an entrepreneur and has secured funding from GreenHouse in the cultured meat area: Entomatia

Co-supervised by Roderick Slavcev, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and supported in part by the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) CREATE grant PrEEmium

MSc thesis: Design of a DNA-Encoded Human Papilloma Virus-Like Particle Displaying a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Antagonistic Peptide for Characterization in Mammalian Cells

MASc student, co-supervised by Roderick Slavcev, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and supported in part by the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) CREATE grant PrEEmium

MSc Thesis: The Construction and Characterization of a Synthetic SARS VLP Comprised of Betacoronavirus Consensus Sequence-Encoded Viral Components

PhD thesis: Development of a Serum-Free Chemically Defined Medium for Adherent and Suspension Culture

MASc thesis: A flow cytometry based assay for the quantification of viruses using changes in infected cell granularity

PhD Thesis: Toward Optimization of the Baculovirus Expression Vector System - Development of Genetic Tools to Improve Biologics Production

PhD thesis: Development of Physically Modified Starch Microparticles for Uptake and Release of Drugs

Co-supervised by Frank Gu, University of Toronto

Co-supervised by Roderick Slavcev, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and supported in part by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) CREATE grant PrEEmium and Theraphage.

PhD thesis: Droplet Production of Biological non-Newtonian Fluids and Bioassay Applications in a Microfluidic Network

Co-supervised by Carolyn Ren, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

MASc thesis: Understanding the Sf9 – Baculovirus Expression Vector System: Exploring the Metabolic Basis of the Cell Density Effect through Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Flow Cytometry Analysis of Fluorescent Protein Accumulation

Co-supervised by Emma Allen-Vercoe, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Guelph

PhD thesis: Microbial and Metabolic Relationships of the Preterm Gut Microbiome in Response to Antibiotic and Dietary Interventions

MSc thesis:Metabolomic profiling of nutrient solutions for characterization of human gut microbiota

MASc thesis: Establishing the Virucidal Properties of a Copper-Nickel-Zinc Alloy using a Genetically Modified Insect Virus

MASc thesis: Generation and Characterization of Dual-Fluorescent Influenza Virus-like Particles (VLPs) in Insect Cells

MASc thesis: Towards the Development of a PhiC31Int-Competent Sf9 Cell Line

Video: 3 Minute Thesis

PhD thesis: Supplementation Strategies for Enhancing Growth and Product Quality in Mammalian Cell Culture Bioprocesses by Omics Analysis & Tuning glycosylation of Monoclonal Antibodies

MASc thesis: Investigation of excipients for the stabilization of HSV-2 vaccine candidate ACAM529

MASc thesis: Partial Characterization of yeast Hydrolysates for Insights on Chemically Defined Media for Sf9 Insect Cells

PhD thesis: Use and control of co-expression in the baculovirus-insect cell system for the production of multiple proteins and complex biologics

MASc thesis: Real time PCR protocol development for rapid low cost quantification of baculovirus and for monitoring progression of infection

PhD thesis: From metabolite concentration to flux analysis - a systematic assessment of error in cell culture metabolomics

MASc thesis: Tracking uptake, assembly and egress of ACAM529 Herpes simplex virus type 2 in complementary Vero cells for enhanced virus recovery

Co-supervised by Guy Guillemette, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science.

MSc thesis: Production of a camelid antibody in CHO cells and its potential for the in vitro modification of its N-glycan using N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III produced in insect cells

MASc thesis: Characterization of alternative promoters to stagger and control multiple gene expression and protein production in the baculovirus-insect cell system

MASc thesis: Investigation of a novel hydrogel anion exchange material for the capture and purification of baculovirus vectors

Co-supervised by Olivier Henry, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, and Amine Kamen, National Research Council Canada

MASc thesis: Development of a production process for a virus like particle based vaccine in cell culture

MASc thesis: Investigation of Sf9 cell metabolism before and after infection using biovolume: A case for the improvement of adeno-associated viral vector production

Master thesis: The use of open surface plasmon resonance for the analysis of the glycosylation pattern of a humanised camelid antibody produced in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells

Master thesis: Expression of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III for in vitro remodeling of antibody glycosylation patterns